Sewing-machine guide.



No. 790,780. PATENTED MAY 23, 1905. H. BRYCE.

SEWING MACHINE GUIDE.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.30,1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

126727 Bryce W i&/o{ I fi'zvenfm:

PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

H. BRYCE.

SEWING MACHINE GUIDE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.30,1901.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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Winessesz attorney NiTEn I STATES Patented May 23, 1905.

HENRY BRYCE, OF TROY, NEIV YORK.

SEWING-MACHINE GUIDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,780, dated May 23, 1905.

Application filed October 30, 1901. Serial No. 80,508.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BRYCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machine Guides, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to stitching-guides for sewing-machines; and it consists in cer tain novel features of construction and com binations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

The objects and advantages of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the annexed drawings in two sheets, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the head end of a (Singer) sewing-machine with my invention attached to the presser bar of the same. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front view, on an enlarged scale, of the device with cover thereof removed. Fig. 4 is section of same, taken at line 1 in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section taken below line 2 in Fig. 2 and illustrates the operation of parts of this invention. Fig. 6 is a rear View of the device. Fig. 7 is a rear side View of the device, showing modifications of some parts thereof. Fig. 8 is a section of same at line 3 in Fig. 7 Fig. 9 is a side View of another (IVheeler & I/Vilson) sewing-machine having my new device applied thereto. Fig. 10 is a front View of the same, and Fig. 11 is a View illustrating the points of contact the gage-finger may at pleasure be had with the bed-plate and in relation to the needle when stitching'at corners of incuts in the fabrics.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, A, Figs. 1 and,2, is the head of a sewing-machine of the class known as the Singer sewing-machine. B is the bed-plate. C is the presser-bar. D is the reciprocating needle-bar, which is operated by the mechanism employed in the said class of sewing-machines, which mechanism is not shown, as it forms no part of my inventions,

and a is the needle carried by said needle-bar. 5 These several parts are old and well known. My new device for guiding fabric while be ing stitched comprises the several parts and elements which I will now describe. In this new device E is the back plate, which in this 5 5 case is the. stationary plate and is provided with flange E for connection with a suitable clamping-piece E which clamping piece is connected with said flange E in an adjustable manner in a horizontal direction. This clamping-piece is secured to a suitable part of the machine for attachment of this guiding device to the same. In Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5 it is shown to be attached to the presserbar C; the attaching end of said clampingpiece E being provided with a clamping-j aw C, which coacts with a removable clampingjaw C secured and made to clamp said presser-bar by means of clamping-screws c 0, Figs. 4: and 5. In Figs. 9 and 10 this adjustable clamping-piece F is shown to have its attaching end provided with a clamping device C adapted to be held clamped to the arm 0 of the head of the sewing-machine by means of a clamping-screw 0, Figs. 9 and 10. In this modification there is provided a vertical slot, (indicated bydotted lines in Fig. 9,) through which slot the clamping-screw 0 passes before screwing in screw-threaded perforation 0 provided in said arm (3*. In both these modifications of said clampingpiece E the end portion F thereof is adapted to be held clamped to the flange E of the back plate E by means of clamping-screw e, which passes through the slot-form perforation e (indi cated by dotted lines in Figs. 5 and 8) and screws into the boss-form end portion F of said piece By this form of means for holding the clamping-piece F securely connected to the flange E of the back plate E this guiding device may be adjusted in either direc tion horizontally, so as to carry a suitable gage-finger toward and from the needle a as may be required by the distance the line of stitching is to be made from the margin edge of the fabric to be stitched, and, further, this described means of connection of this guiding device with the clamping boss-piece F allows the former to be swung horizontally in either direction for effecting anice adjustment of the said device in relation to the needle.

G is the moving guide-carrying plate, which is adapted to be moved at will of the operator horizontally in either direction in relation to the stationary back plate E. This guidecari ying plate G may be s uare, rectangular, or any other form preferre and is secured to said back plate E so as to be free to move horizontally in relation to the same 'by any suitable means. My preferred means consists of guiding-slots g g, provided at suitable points in said plate G, and holding-screws g g, passing through said slots gand screwing into suitable screw-threaded holes provided in the said back plate and adapted to hold said movable plateG against theformer with out binding of the one or the other.

H is a vertical gage-bar which is suitably guided in its vertical movement by suitable ways it h and is held in place against the movable guide-carrying plate G by any suitable keeper H, having bearing against its front side. This keeper may be of any preferred construction which may adapt it to hold said gage-bar loosely against plate G. I at present prefer to make this keeper to be in the form of an inclosing plate, (shown in Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 and marked H in said figures,) which plate-form keeper (shown in Fig. 3 to be in part broken away) may be secured to the stationary back plate E by suitable screws it, (also shown in Figs. 1, 8, and 10 and indicated by dotted lines in Figs 6 and 7.) This gage-bar H is elastically supported between ways h h by a suitable spring I, having one end i thereof fixed to the movable guide-carrying plate G and its opposite end i engaging with the vertical gage-bar H by entering into a suitable perforation "L made in said bar at any preferred point in its length.

In Fig. 3 this engagement of the said spring I is shown to be made at a point about midway in the length of said bar H by means of perforation i in said figure, while in Fig. 7 the engagement of said spring I with said bar H is shown to be at near the upper end of the same, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 7. In both cases the limit of drop of said bar as shown may be effected by the spring I, holding with said bar and adapted to bear against one of the Ways h, to guide the bar in its vertical movements. The lower halfportion,or more or less,

of the gage-finger J, I make with a cylindrical form and small diametersay about one-sixteenth of an inch so as to allow it to enter into an interior corner of an acute angular form which may occur in the article to be stitched and be required to be stitched at lines parallel with the margin edge of the article and at a short distance from the same.

I-Ieretofore when stitching fabrics having in them an incut N, as in Fig. 11, in which occurs a corner n at the meeting of margin edges n n of said incut and such article was required to be stitched with lines S S of stitchings meeting each other at point 8 theoperator was required to press the portion of fabric at corner at hard against the gage,heretofore provided, so as to bunch the fabric together, and thereby bring the point at which the fabric was to receive the needle at s for beginning the stitching line S, designed to be run from s outward in direction of arrow 1 in Fig. 11. In this old practice there was produced a long stitch, generally about two or more times longer than the other stitches, which stitch would be irregular and out of correspondence with the others and often become broken because of the strain on the thread of the same, and the results as to forming a properly-stitched corner was uncertain and unsatisfactory. For the purpose of avoiding this bunching of fabrics at corners of incuts in the same I provide mechanism adapted to move the gage J (shown by full lines in Fig. 11) to be in corner n back to dotted lines S, that the stitching of line S may be continued from point of needle a opposite corner n to point 8 of stitching and subsequently move the said gage-finger back and past the normal place ofthe said gage to point of dotted lines J, when the fabric may be so turned and moved as to allowthe stitching to be continued in direction ofarrow 1 on line S. of stitching until the needle is again at opposite corner n, when the mechanism may be operated for moving the saidgagefinger to its normal place directly opposite said needle and also at said corner n, when the stitchings on line S will be continued.

I have illustrated two modifications of mechanisms by which these movements of the said gage-finger J may be effected, and although other modifications may be employed, yet preference to those shown are at present preferred by me, because of the simplicity of parts thereof.

One modification is shown in Figs. 3 and 6, in which modification M is a suitable slot made in the moving guidecarrying plate G in an inclined direction therein in relation to the horizontal line of movement this plate is to have for changing the position of the gage finger J in relation to the needle (1. This slot is shown to be inclined in direction from a point toward the upper edge of said late G outward and downward to point 0 terminal at toward the lower edge of said plate. In the stationary back plate E is provided the vertical curved form-slot M, which is located in that late opposite inclined slot M in plate G and in such relation to the latter that when gage-finger J is in normal position (shown by full lines in Figs. 3 and 6) the said slots may appear to cross each other and have the point of middle of length of each to be coincident with that of the other, as shown by their respective full and dotted lines in the same figure. Pivoted on stationary plate E at a suitable point by pivot 0 is lever O, and fiXed in said lever is actuating-pin P, so located in said lever as to be at the point of middle of length of both slots M M when the gage-finger J is in its normal position and lever O is also in its normal position, as shown by full linesin Figs. 3 and 6.

Retaining-notches p p p are provided at suitable points in the moving plate G and are shown in Fig. 3 to be in the upper edge of said plate, and an elastic detent P is shown by full lines in Fig. 6 to be secured to the stationary back plate E and having its detent-finger p Figs. 3 and 4, to be in engagement with the middle retaining-notch p, which is the proper notch to be engaged with when lever O is in normal position and gage finger J is also at its normal position in relation to the needle (1. By means of this abovedescribed form of mechanism comprised by slots M M, lever O, actuating-pin P, notches p 1) p and elastic detent P .the said moving gage-carrying'plate G may be moved in either direction from its normal position in relation to the stationary back plate E and be heldto place moved to.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a modification which may be employed for effecting the same movements of the plate G in relation to stationary' plate E. This modificationcomprises slot Q, made in the said stationary plate E, and stud Q, connected with the movable plate G and projected rearwardly and through said slot Q and adapted to be moved freely in the same, and angular-formv lever R, pivoted by means of pivot 1" on said stationary plate E and having in its short angle-arm the slot 1",receiving the rearwardprojected end of the stud Q. fication I prefer to employ for a detent a projection 1, (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 7,) connected with the side of lever R toward the rear side of the stationary back plateE, and also provide suitable retaining-notches 7 g (shown by full lines in the same figure,)

made in the said plate E from its rear side and also a notch opposite to the indicated detent q, connected with lever B and mid-.

way between notches 9 Figs. 1 and 2, illustrating this invention applied to a Singer sewing-machine, and Figs. 9 and 10, illustrating it applied to a Wheeler & Wilson sewing-machine, clearly show the surface of the bed-plate B to be free and unobstructed by any adjuncts of a guiding or gaging device and that the gagefinger J in all cases is held with its lower end surface bearing on the bed-plates and to be elastically held down thereon and that the.

needle of the respective machines is in line directly front of the vertical and elastic gagefinger when the latter is in its normal position in relation to the needle of the machine.

In this modi- Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent, is-

1. A sewing-machine comprising a plate adjustably supported from the machine, a gage-finger vertically movable with relation to said plate, means to adjust said gage-finger and plate in the direction of the line of feed of the goods,-notches formed in the edge of said plate, and means to engage said notches to lock the gage-finger in adjusted position.

2. In a sewing-machine, a guide comprising a back plate adjustably supported from the machine, a guide-carrying plate movably supported by the back plate, a spring-pressed gage-fingerconnected with said guide-plate and movable in the direction of line of feed of the goods, the edge of the guide-plate being formed with a plurality of notches, and a spring-finger projecting from the back plate and adapted to enter either of the notches in the guide-plate whereby to lock the latter and gage-finger in adjusted position.

3. In a sewing-machine, a guide comprising a plate adjustably supported from the machine, a spring-pressed gage-finger yieldingly supported from said plate and movable in the direction of the line of feed of the goods, and means to adjust the gage-finger in such direction a predetermined distance.

4. In a sewing-machine, a guide comprising a plate adjustably supported from the machine, a spring-pressed gage-finger yieldingly connected with the plate and movable in the direction of the line of feed of the goods, and means to adjust the gage-finger in a direction transverse to the line of adj ustment. of the plate.

5. In a sewing-machine, a guide comprising a plate adjustably supported from the machine, a vertically-movable spring-held gage-finger connected with the plate and adjust said gage-carrying plate in the direction of the line of feed of the goods.

7. In a sewing-machine, a guide comprising a back plate .adjustably secured .to the machine, a guide-carrying plate bearing against the face of the back plate and adjuste ably supported thereby, a spring -.pressed gage-finger slidingly supported in the guide carrying plate, and means to' independently adjust said guide-carrying plate in the direction of the line of feed of the goods.

8'. In a sewing-mach1ne, a guide, a back plate adj ustably supported from the machine,

a guide-carrying plate movably supported from the back plate, a gage-finger comprising a pendent pin movably supported in the guide-carrying plate, a lever for limitedly adj usting the guide-carrying plate transversely of the line of adjustment of the back plate, and in the line of feed of the goods, and means for automatically locking the guide-plate 'to the back plate.

9. In asewing-machine, a guide comprising aback plate adjustably supported by the machine, a guide carrying plate movably supported from the back plate and bearing against the face thereof, a gage-finger comprising a pendent pin supported by the guidecarrying plate, a lever for limitedly adjusting said guide-carrying plate transversely to the line of adjustment of the back plate and in the direction of line of feed of the goods, and means to lock the guide-plate in adjusted position.

10. In a sewing-machine, a guide comprising a gage-finger comprising a pendent pin movably supported upon the machine-head above the bed-plate with its lower end in contact with the bed-plate, said gage-finger being movable in the direction of line of feed of thegoods, of means to lock said gage-finger at a normal point relaitve to the needle, and mechanism to move said gage-finger in the direction of the line of feed of the goods a de' terminate distance either side said normal position.

11. In a sewing-machine, a guide comprisinga plate to be secured to the machine-head, a guide-carrying plate secured to and adapt ed to be horizontally adjusted with relation to said stationary plate, a spring-pressed gagefinger connected to and guided by said movable plate, and means to adjust said plate and thereby the gage-finger in the direction of the line of feed of the goods. 1

12. In a sewing-machine guide, the combination with a back plate secured to the head of a sewing-machine, a plate secured to and horizontally movable with relation to sald back plate, a gage-bar connected to the movable plate and guided thereon for vertical movement, and aspringbearing on saidbar, of a gage-finger connected to said bar and means to adjust said gage-finger a determlnate d1stance in a plane parallel to the lineof stitching.

13. In a sewing-machine guide, the comb1- nation with a stationary plate adj ustably secured to the sewing-machine head, a horizontally-movable plate supported bysaid stationary plate, a gage-bar vertically guided in the movable plate, a spring carried by the movable plate and bearing on said bar, a gage-finger carried by the lower end of said bar, and means for adjusting the movable plate and thereby the gage-finger a determinate distance in a direction parallel to the line of stitching.

14.. In a sewing-machine guide, a back plate adjustably connected to the machinehead, a guide carrying plate, horizontally movable with relation to the back plate, a gage-finger slidably supported in said guidecarrying plate a lever pivoted on the back plate, said back plate and the guide-carrying plate being formed with oppositely-disposed slots which partially register one with the other, and a pin projecting from the lever and passing through the registeringportlons of the said slots.

HENRY BRYCE. Witnesses:

ALEX. SELKIRK, A. SELKIRK, Jr. 

